


The Last Word

by CalumSmiles (dreamforlife)



Series: Accidentally on purpose [3]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Devious Ashton, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Muke as distractions, Oblivious Calum, Puppies, SO BASICALLY DEATH, silly idiots in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 07:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11398092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamforlife/pseuds/CalumSmiles
Summary: “Hey Cal,” Ashton says quietly. The ocean roars in the background, gentle and encouraging. “Happy anniversary.”Calum just stares at him, a lingering stab of anger tense in his stomach despite the desire that trickles through his body in a shower of sparks. There’s a soft huff of laughter when Calum remains silent for a moment too long.“I guess I’m doing the talking then,” Ashton jokes, fiddling with the rings on his fingers. “Alright then.”When he takes a deep breath and looks up at Calum, there is nothing but absolute certainty in those endless eyes. When he starts talking, Calum is left completely breathless.~~~~~~Or, Ashton apologises with puppies when he forgets mundane things…until he forgets something important. Or does he?Puppies aren’t going to fix this. But that ring might.





	The Last Word

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gonnamuke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gonnamuke/gifts).



> SO. Okay. This is self-indulgent and it didn't start off as a proposal fic but that's what it turned into and HI HELLO MY NAME IS DEATH. 
> 
> A conversation about Ashton apologising with puppies with Sonny turned cashton proposal fic. (Sonny, I KNOW it's been MONTHS since we had this conversation but...it's finally here? heh ehehehe)
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> Note: I do not give permission for this to be reposted anywhere. So please, if you see it anywhere except archive, let me know.

It’s funny, probably, that Calum knows _exactly_ what Ashton is doing but he can’t find it in himself to care at all.

Southy jumps, barks in high-pitched little _ruffs_ as he licks at Calum’s laughing face. Calum ruffles his fur, grinning as he lets the little thing bowl him over onto his back, paws digging into his chest.

Ashton had forgotten the milk today. Last week, it had been the salt. The month before, it had been the spaghetti sauce. Two weeks before that, it had been potatoes. But, as Calum had come to expect, he returned home each time instead with an entirely too-innocent grin and an excitable bundle of puppy curled up in his arms.

“Crystal said I could borrow her for night.”

Calum had stifled the eye-roll at that, because _sure_ Crystal had just _offered,_ like Michael was going to let Southy just _go_ — he loves that dog with everything he has _._ But Calum catches Southy as he leaps right out of Ashton’s arms at him with an excited yelp, brown eyes bright, and lets Ashton believe his own lies. Their friends made sure he wasn’t unaware of Ashton’s ploys, texting him the minute Ashton left their place with their dog in his car, with messages along the lines of _hey your boyfriend stole our dog again_ and _how many times can one person forget something_ and, his personal favourite, _get your own fucking dog, Calum._

Ashton had never once given an indication that he was aware of the betting pool circling amongst their friends. Calum probably knew too much about it. There was a veritable scroll with the most mundane shit Ashton had forgotten in the past and what he could forget in the future. Calum’s favourite is _lube,_ written in Brian’s sharp handwriting and a winking face scrawled next to it. There are fifty dollars riding on that one.

Right now, though, Calum glances up at Ashton as Southy gets sick of him and goes padding down the hallway to explore the house he probably knows like the back of his paw given that he’s the most accessible dog to Ashton, living only a few streets away.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

Ashton is leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and a bright, innocent smile on his lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says.

Calum climbs to his feet with a low laugh and sets his hands on his hips. “Yeah, right. But you’re lucky I love you or you’d be in a lot of shit for forgetting the milk. I really wanted to have a coffee.”

“I love you too,” Ashton replies, face a little pale. “I’ll get it tomorrow, I swear.”

“A likely story,” Calum throws over his shoulder as he heads for the kitchen. “C’mon, you giant goofball, I made dinner. Like the _amazing_ boyfriend I am, unlike y—”

Ashton catches him around the waist, pressing a wet, scruffy kiss to his cheek before Calum can fight him off with an exasperated grumble, sprinting down the corridor laughing as Calum chases after him.

 

*

 

This time, it’s the last straw. This time, Calum is going to drive nails into every tire in Ashton’s car, including the fucking spare in the back. _This time,_ Ashton will not be able to throw a fluffy dog in his face and get away with it.

Because Ashton forgot their anniversary.

Calum’s teeth grind as he throws his Rover into gear, backing out of the driveway of their house—their currently _empty house_ because his fucking boyfriend had apparently _left—_ and stepping on the accelerator so hard the rear wheels shriek against the asphalt before the car shoots down the road.

It’s their fifth anniversary. _Fifth. Anniversary._ They’ve been together for five fucking years and Ashton’s is not in bed when Calum wakes up. He isn’t in the kitchen when he walks out. He isn’t _anywhere_ in the fucking house.

Does he answer his phone when Calum tries to call? _No._

Does he answer the messages he sends? _No._

Is there any indication of where he’s gone? _No._

Calum is still fuming as he merges off the highway fifteen minutes later and makes it to Luke’s house, knowing Luke would be alone at this time in the morning and he’d at least have Petunia to settle his anger a little.

 _“LUKE!”_ He bellows as he stalks in using his key. His blood bubbles with the whiplash of fury. The front door slams behind him. “Wake the fuck up, Hemmings!”

Luke comes sprinting down the stairs, almost falling headlong down them in his haste as he trips over his feet. He’s clearly just woken up because there’s sleep crusted in the corners of his eyes and his hair is wild mess, but his blue eyes are wide as he stumbles up to Calum.

“What? What’s wrong? Why are you here? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is not okay!” Calum deflates a little as Petunia comes bounding over to ram into his legs. “Do you know where my supposed boyfriend is?”

“Your b—no?” Luke shoves a hand through his hair and collapses onto a beanbag, long legs sprawled on the floor. “What are you doing here? Isn’t today—” He must catch the sharp glare because he falls silent. “Oh.” And then after a moment, he adds, “no, I have no idea where Ash is.”

“Great,” Calum murmurs, scratching Petunia behind the ears. “Just great. My boyfriend’s forgotten our fifth anniversary.” He huffs a hard laugh. “How much have y’all got banked on him forgetting an important date?”

Luke’s responding chuckle is a little strained, his voice gentle when he speaks as if he’s afraid Calum would explode like an unstable grenade if he didn’t handle him with care.

“Almost eighteen hundred bucks.”

“Good.” Calum keeps his eyes on Petunia, not wanting to acknowledge the hesitant look Luke is giving him, eyes soft with sympathy. There’s a perk to having rich, Californian kids as friends. “I’m gonna need it to treat myself after I destroy Ashton into a million little pieces.”

Luke jumps a little, body goes into a spasm as he sits up. “Okay, _chill_ , man. Maybe he had to run an errand or something.”

“An errand,” Calum says slowly, turning to look at Luke. “An errand at eight in the morning?”

The wince that twitches across Luke’s face gives him little satisfaction. As Petunia whines in her throat and pushes her way into Calum’s lap, making him fall on to the couch, Calum deflates. His anger fizzles to a simmer.

“You’re right,” he says quietly. “He’s probably running an errand.”

Luke scrambles a little as he tries to get up from the beanbag and Calum giggles a little as he falls backward twice, holding Petunia around the waist, cheek pressed against her head.

“Shut up,” Luke huffs as he finally manages to get up. He comes to sit beside Calum, instinctually sliding a hand over his puppy’s back. “Look, I’m sure Ash will turn up. Maybe he’s out doing something for you. Like puppies!”

Calum huffs, scoffing. Luke’s cheerful expression melts away.

“Yeah well, no number of puppies is gonna fix fucking leaving me _alone_ with no idea where he’s gone. Maybe he should’ve left a note or something. Or maybe answer his _fucking_ phone.”

“Do you want to stay for breakfast?” Luke asks after a short silence in wake of the words ringing around them. “I’ve got bacon and eggs. And chocolate croissants.”

“Sure…got nothing else to do apparently.”

Luke flashes him a light grin as he taps away at his phone. Calum manages an exhausted smile in return.

 

*

 

Breakfast is quiet, comfortable despite the thin undercurrent of tension. Calum eats slowly, agreeing to the coffee Luke offers afterwards with a small chuckle.

“C’mon, I gotta run a song idea by you anyway,” Luke says, nodding his towards his music room, his eyes a gentle blue and all too knowing. “Stay for a bit.”

Calum swallows the thickness in his throat, heat unfurling through his palms as he grips the mug a little too hard, and nods jerkily. Anything to prolong the inevitability of going back to an empty house.

“Sick!”

Luke’s smile is a too bright, voice too perky and his grip on Calum’s arm a little too rough, and Calum’s chest tightens, a smile pulling at his lips. Moments like this make it clear just how lucky he is to have best friends like his.

Which makes it all the worse when Luke gets a call and has to run off in a rush only fifteen minutes later, eyes apologetic and guilty, spilling promises that he’d come to Calum as soon as he could. Calum laughs and brushes it off, the smile vanishing like the sun behind storm clouds as soon as Luke’s car peels out of the driveway.

His own house is an empty, echoing cavern, silence expanding and ringing from the corners as Calum walks in gingerly. His phone is still silent, Ashton’s laughing face looking back at him innocently from his lockscreen when he checks it for the fifth time in two minutes. Apparently, none of their friends know where Ashton is either.

Calum groans, throwing his phone hard at the armchair, watching as it bounces hard before clattering to the floor. He really is going to key Ashton’s car, carve IT’S OUR ANNIVERSARY, ASSHAT into the shiny new paint job. Or he would, if the car was at home. So he can’t do that either.

He flops onto the couch, rolling his shoulders back until he sinks into the cushions, and picks up the remote.

“Looks like it’s just you and me, Netflix,” he mutters under his breath, throwing his head back onto the cushioned arm of the couch. “Let’s chill.”

He makes it through five episodes of Who’s Line Is It Anyway with a straight face, two hours unmoving from the couch, before Luke shows up at his door with Michael, banging on it until he growls and stalks to throw it open.

“What do you want?” He asks, barely glancing at them, as he leaves the door open and heads back to his blanket nest in the living room. “I’m having the time of my life here. Netflix and I are thinking about eloping.”

The front door closes.

 _“Oh my god,”_ he hears Michael whisper to Luke, _“he’s built a blanket nest, this is so much worse than we thought.”_

Luke sighs. _“And the sass is dialled up to four-fucking-hundred. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”_

Calum rolls his eyes and plops back onto the couch, curling back into the pleasant warmth that had failed to quell the ice in his chest. His feet are still cold too.

“We brought you a milkshake,” Michael says cheerfully, green eyes bright as he holds out the tall clear plastic takeaway cup. “Oreo!” When Calum doesn’t respond, purely out of the childish stubbornness he feels, Michael pokes his hidden foot. “It’s your favourite!” He wheedles in a voice like one used for a reluctant baby. 

Calum would be offended but he sneaks a hand out from under the blanket instead and grabs the cup, sticking the straw in his mouth and staring at the TV without really seeing anything. The milkshake is chilly on his tongue and he goes back to plotting the seventeenth way he would kill Ashton for forgetting their anniversary. He had had plans for today. Of course, Ashton had to go missing and ruin all the sappy, boyfriend-y things that Calum had planned for the day. So, obviously, the only way to kill him is to strangle him with the new necklace he had bought for him. He thinks that he could talk Mitchy into helping him bury the body.

Luke makes a startled sound and Calum shakes himself out of the daze, eyebrows furrowing further when he turns to see the two of them whispering frantically to each other, gesturing at Calum.  

“Gee,” he says, tone flat, staring at the now empty cup in his hands, “I’m really feeling cheered up.”

Michael’s head snaps up and the bubbly expression is back on his face. “Stop moping, Ashton will probably be back soon.”

“At this rate, I fucking doubt it,” Calum says, shrugging. “Whatever. See if I care.”

It’s four in the afternoon and he’s in the middle of debating going to bed when Michael jumps to his feet, grabbing Calum’s arm and yanking him up.

“Alright, that’s it. Get up, c’mon,” he says. There is no room for argument in his tone. “Go have a shower. I refuse to let you fucking mope all fucking day. Go. Shower. Get changed. We’re going out for fish and chips and ice cream.”

Calum grumbles to himself as he stalks up the stairs. He grumbles to himself as he stands under the hot shower spray and viciously scrubs his body clean. He grumbles as he dresses. He grumbles as he comes back downstairs. He grumbles as he sits in the back of Luke’s car. He grumbles when they reach the beach-side café.

He only stops grumbling when Michael hands him a cone topped with passionfruit and mango sorbet, sticking it in his mouth with as much pettiness as he can muster.

“I can’t believe it took ice cream for you to finally stop whining,” Luke says, licking his own swirl of mint chocolate gelato.

“I can’t believe you’re a disgrace to humanity,” Calum shoots back, eyeing the horrific green concoction in Luke’s cone. “Oh wait. I can.”

Michael rolls his eyes. “You’re such a bitch today.”

“Well gee, I fucking wonder why.”

“Don’t bait him,” Luke says, nudging Michael’s side. “Defend your own horrible life choices.”

Michael gasps, pressing a hand to his chest. “Chocolate ice cream and salted caramel ice cream go great together, thank you very much. Heretic.”

Calum makes a face. “Actually, I’m with Luke on this one. Who the fuck thought _salted caramel_ was a good fucking idea? You’re ruining chocolate ice cream and all it stands for.”

“I hate you both.”

“Not as much as that old lady at Coachella hated you.”

Calum smirks as he holds his fist up for Luke to bump, because hadn’t that been hilarious. Hearing about Michael’s untimely drunken run-in with a tiny grandmother with an attitude sharp enough to kill had been the highlight of Calum’s day. Watching it all unfold on Luke’s phone and seeing Michael’s ass verbally handed to him had given him enough material for a lifetime.

“Fuck you.”

For the first time in hours, Calum laughs. He wishes that the sudden perky brightness in Michael’s eyes didn’t make him feel guilty.

Ugh. He hates Ashton.

“C’mon,” Luke says, tugging at Calum’s arm, clearly seeing that his mood had soured. He is unbearably observant today. “I wanna watch the sunset.”

Michael nods eagerly, canines sharp against his lips. “Me too. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a good sunset and today is supposed to be a _sick_ one!”

Calum rolls his eyes hard so they know just how he feels about this and gets to his feet.

 

*

 

“I’m not in a sunset-type mood,” he says as Luke ushers him out of the car. “My boyfriend ditched me on our fifth anniversary, Lucas, I want to go drown myself in whiskey and scream at rom coms and their unrealistic portrayals of love.”

Luke just clucks at him. _Clucks._ Like Calum is a five-year-old who’s disobeyed his eighty-year-old grandmother, Luke being the grandmother.

Michael snorts as they lead Calum around a tall sand dune that blocks the view of the sea. “I’ll personally buy you a Rolex watch if you stop complaining for ten minutes.”

Calum eyes him. “You’re on, asshole. I want the most expensive one they have.”

He deserves a Rolex. He’s been abandoned by the love of his life—

“Stop being dramatic,” Michael says, barely even sparing him a glance. “I can hear you being dramatic.”

Calum aims a sour look at the back of Michael’s head and hopes he trips face-first into a crab’s claw.

When they suddenly round the curve of the path amidst the dunes, between two large bushes, Calum’s bitter inner monologue fades.

“Holy shit,” he whispers.

“Told ya,” Luke murmurs.

It’s… _stunning._

The sun is hanging low amongst wispy rose-purple clouds, the sky glowing warm in dusky orange and faded red, the ocean calm beneath it as waves swirl onto the shore, foaming gently.

It’s as he opens his mouth to speak, gasp, _cry_ over the sight in front of him that he notices the rather obvious thing on the sand that he’d missed in his distraction. Persian rugs laid over the sand, cushions piled on two sides, oil lamps flickering with licking flames set in the sand surrounding the rug.

It’s calming. Beautiful. Romantic.

The last thought makes him cringe a little, mind flashing to Ashton.

He throws a look at Michael and Luke. This can’t be a coincidence. “What’s going on, guys?”

“Dunno, dude, we didn’t do this,” Michael says, shrugging.

Luke shrugs too but there’s something in his eyes that makes Calum narrow his eyes and he turns around to walk over to the little set up. Nothing about it gives him any clue either. He hates the stupid flicker of hope in the pit of his stomach.

“Guys…” He says, voice firm, as he turns around. “This isn’t funny—”

When he does turn though, there’s no one there. He sees Luke disappearing around the bend in the sandy path and scowls.

Great.

Hilarious.

A soft cough comes from behind him and Calum spins around. His eyes go wide. The only reason he doesn’t start yelling is because his voice completely abandons him.

Ashton is standing there with a small smile, haloed in the setting sun, gold sewn through his hair, with hints of fire and the ocean breeze fluttering through the curls. Dressed in a white button-up shirt rolled up to his elbows and black jeans, Ashton is barefoot on the picnic rug and Calum chokes on the inhale, the sharp gasp ripping into the air around them. He looks _delicious._ Calum can feel the heat in his cheeks as he looks his boyfriend up and down, spine tingling.

_Well shit._

Ashton’s smile widens, dimples caving soft shadows into his cheeks.

“Hey Cal,” he says quietly. The ocean roars in the background, gentle and encouraging. “Happy anniversary.”

Oh.

Calum just stares at him, a lingering stab of anger tense in his stomach despite the desire that trickles through his body in a shower of sparks. There’s a soft huff of laughter.

“I guess I’m doing the talking then,” Ashton jokes, fiddling with the rings on his fingers. “Alright.”

When he takes a deep breath and looks up at Calum, there is nothing but absolute certainty in those endless eyes. When he starts talking, Calum is left completely breathless.

“Cal, we’ve been together for five years ever since the day you came home with my initials tattooed on your wrist,” twin giggles come from sand dune behind Calum and he ignores it as Ashton throws a fond look over Calum’s shoulder before he continues, “and we’ve been on this incredible journey together for the past ten years with our boys, but I’m so grateful that I got to have you by my side every step of the way.”

Calum’s throat closes, a dull ache growing as he fights the tears pushing their way to the surface. He can’t—

Ashton pauses for a moment, biting into his lip. Calum’s heart trips.

“The past five years have been…the _best_ five years of my life, waking up to your smile and the way you pull me closer ‘cos you don’t want to get up, seeing your face light up when any dog gives you attention, your fucking _insatiable_ sex drive—”

A strangled laugh trips out of Calum and he smiles through the hollow clench in his chest, heartbeat like thunder between his lungs. Ashton’s eyes are stars as he grins at him.

“—your beautiful heart, watching you grow into the incredible, inspiring musician you are today…I’m honoured to have been by your side all these years. So…”  

It’s only because Calum’s been completely blindsided by Ashton’s disappearance all day that he doesn’t realise what’s about to happen.

Ashton slides his hand into his pocket to pull out a dark purple velvet box and Calum’s knees almost give, a chokes gasp sticking in his throat. He freezes.

“So,” Ashton says and slowly slides down onto one knee, opening the box. “I’m so lucky to have you and I love you in all the ways I can love you and I think, even when I was a headstrong eighteen-year-old trying to make it out of Sydney, I knew you were special. I fell in love with you hard and fast and I can’t wait to fall in love with you every day for the rest of our lives…”

He takes a shaky breath, smiling.

Calum can’t speak. There are no words for him to find, just absolute shock ringing in his head as he stares at Ashton kneeling in front of him. His hands are shaking and he curls them into fists to hide it but it doesn’t stop, fists quivering with the earthquake in his chest. The white-hot wash of anger and cold disappointment that had been in his system all day fades away as the flickering firelight dances in Ashton’s eyes.

“I can’t wait to fall in love with the way you hold our children, the way you’ll look while you put them to bet at night, I can’t wait to fall in love with you when I can’t hold a drumstick because my hands shake too much and you’re sitting beside me in our house with grey hair and more adorable laugh lines around those beautiful, wise, brown eyes of yours…”

 _Our children._ Jesus _Christ._

Ashton swallows heavily, looking down for a moment. The sun throws dusky orange rays over him, beckoning. Calum is vibrating in his skin, heartbeat loud in his ears, nails digging deep into his palms as he watches Ashton open his eyes again and look up.

“Cal…you’ve always been it for me. Will you marry me?”

A squeal comes from behind him but Calum doesn’t really hear it, too focused on the ring glistening under the lamplight and the setting sun, too focused on the hesitant, aching hope in Ashton’s beautiful eyes. He smiles then, choked, and lets the tears slip free down his cheeks.

He loves this man more than he could ever put into words.

“Does this mean I was angry for nothing all day?” is what comes out of his mouth when he opens it and he laughs wetly through the tears, wiping at his eyes. “You didn’t forget.”

Roaring laughter from Michael and Luke echo around them and Ashton drops his head for a moment, shoulders shaking. When he looks up, he’s smiling just too wide and shaking his head. His eyes glitter, lined with a film of tears.

“I know I forget the milk on occasion but do you really think I could forget the day you told me you loved me?”

Calum is going to explode into a shower of glitter and goo. He lets out a watery laugh, vision blurring.  “Does that mean I don’t get the cash?” He calls over his shoulder, eyes on Ashton.

Michael scoffs, yelling, _“Can’t believe you actually thought he forgot, you moron!”_

“You owe me a Rolex, you back-stabbing asshole!” Calum yells right back.

Luke is laughing as he shouts, “ _Answer the fucking question!”_

Ashton raises at eyebrow. “Will you marry me or not, you idiot?” He asks, holding up the ring box.

Calum heaves a strangled laugh and crosses the sand in one long stride, falling to his knees in front of Ashton to pull him in for a hard kiss, curling his fingers into short, soft hair. Ashton kisses back, sliding their lips together in a way that sends warmth sliding down Calum’s spine. Their tears mix on their cheeks.

He pulls away to rest their foreheads together, eyes opening to watch his thumbs brush over Ashton’s wet cheekbones. “Yeah,” he says softly. “Like I was ever going to say no.”

Ashton surges up for a kiss that Calum will remember for the rest of his life, burning through him until it settles, steady and strong in each beat of his heart.

“I love you,” Ashton murmurs against his mouth.

“I love you too, so much,” Calum says and pulls back enough to let Ashton slip the ring onto his finger, blinking through fresh tears as he turns his hand to study the beautiful, intertwined white gold pattern. “Jesus, Ashton…it’s incredible.”

Ashton lets out a soft puff of laughter and presses a slow, soft kiss to his cheek, pulling away just enough to rest his nose beside Calum’s. “You’re incredible.”

Their breathing flows gently between them and Calum’s pulse is fast and steady, his chest aching as Ashton rubs his thumb over his knuckles, over the ring.

The bubble around them erupts as two bodies crash into them, euphoric cheers shattering the quiet moment as Michael and Luke send the four of them crashing onto the sandy picnic rug. Calum is wrapped up in Ashton’s arms and laughing giddily through lingering tears as Michael’s exaggerated sobbing fills his ears, Luke’s shining blue eyes watching him over Ashton’s shoulder.

“You two-faced little shit,” Calum says, wiping his face.

Luke gives an easy shrug, cheeks dimpling as he grins. “You think that was easy? You looked so fucking _sad_ and Ashton kept texting me to make sure you didn’t do something stupid.”

“Stupid like this, you mean?” Calum asks, shifting his eyes to Ashton—his _fiancé,_ holy _shit_ —and smiling helplessly at the pleased grin on his face.

Ashton tightens his arms around Calum, dimples deep and gaze warm. “We’re twenty-five, it’s not stupid. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Butterflies.

Calum hasn’t felt that in years, the flustered flutter in his stomach, the easy flush spilling into his cheeks at blunt, simple words. Even though Ashton talked about children and growing old together, it’s these words that pack the punch right to his stomach. He groans low in his throat, pushing his face into Ashton’s neck to hide the blush. Ashton’s laughter ruffles his hair, Michael and Luke cooing around them.

“I wanna spend the rest of my life with you too,” he mumbles into warm skin.

Michael goes back to sobbing. _“My children are getting married!”_ He wails.

“There, there,” Luke murmurs.

Ashton presses a kiss to Calum’s temple as the four of them lie there, half on the sand, half on the rug, and shift until they’re watching the setting sun throw one last flare of light over the horizon as the moon rises in the east. Calum loves the way Ashton’s fingers find the heartbeat drum tattoo, brushing over it slowly.

“I love you,” he says quietly, pushing his fingers over his own initials on Ashton’s wrist.

He remembers the day Ashton had come home, only a few weeks after they’d gotten together, and he had climbed onto the couch beside Calum and held up his wrist. He remembers the way his phone had gone tumbling onto the tiled floor, the screen cracking right through, as he had grabbed Ashton and stared at the letters staring at him.

_“You…”_

_Ashton had laughed, pressed his lips to Calum’s cheek and lingered there, nose brushing the curve of a dimple_. _“I did.”_

Now, five years later, Calum feels Ashton’s smile against his forehead.

“And I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Look LOOK, TELL ME the puppy thing isn't realistic...like, Ashton would. ANYWAYS, I hope y'all enjoyed it and thank you for reading, my lovely friends <3 
> 
> Come yell at me in the comments!! 
> 
> Tumblr: aneverendingreplay
> 
>  
> 
> Note: I do not give permission for this to be reposted anywhere. So please, if you see it anywhere except archive, let me know.


End file.
